It was announced this week that late rap artist and poet Tupac Shakur will have his song “Dear Mama” inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress. The song is from his 1995 album, “Me Against the World,” and was selected because it represents a “moving and eloquent homage to both the murdered rappers’ own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and social injustice.” The song was called “culturally and historically significant” by the Library of Congress.
Raised in poverty, Shakur was raised by a mother who suffered from drug addiction. He entered into the entertainment industry as a backup dancer for the group Digital Underground. As 2Pac, he documented his struggle within the lyrics of his music. Praised outside of the rap community, Shakur’s song “Changes” was selected among one of the Vatican’s “12 Favorite Songs” last December. His poetic scripts have been added to Atlanta University Center’s Robert Woodruff Library.
“Dear Mama” was written to honor his mother, former Black Panther Afeni Shakur, who had been acquitted on more than 150 charges of conspiracy against the country, shortly before Shakur served a brief prison sentence.
Shakur’s song was inducted along with pieces from musicians Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning,” Patti Smith’s “Horses” and the original 1959 cast recording of “Gypsy” and battle sounds from World War II.
Shakur has sold 75 million records worldwide and has been stated as one of the most acclaimed and best-selling artists in the world by Rolling Stone magazine.
In September 1996, Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas.
